How to install Google Android Market on Kindle Fire

Got a new Kindle Fire and want access to the entire Google Android Marketplace instead of the puny Amazon App Store? You came to the right place. In this tutorial we will cover in detail how to install Google Android Market on Kindle Fire. Before starting this tutorial, you will have to have your Kindle Fire rooted and side loading of applications enabled. In order to do this, check our How to root your Kindle Fire tutorial and also How to enable sideloading apps on Kindle Fire tutorial as well.

Now, assuming that your Kindle Fire is rooted and the sideloading is enabled (ES File Explorer also installed for free from Kindle App Store), let’s proceed with actually installing the Google Android Market.

Step 1: Prerequisites

We will need to install several files to begin with (see list below). After download, copy them somewhere on the Kindle Fire. I usually use download folder. All the files I linked to are given for free by their developers.

a. GoogleServicesFramework.apk

b. Android Market  (com.amarket.apk version 3.1.3)

c. GO Launcher EX (GO_Launcher_EX_V2.65.apk)

d. Root Explorer (not free, can be bought from the Android Marketplace via this link for $3.99)

Not mandatory but nice to have are the following files:

d. Google Maps

d. Google Street View

f. Netflix

Step 2: Installation of GoogleServicesFramework.apk and GO Launcher

a. You’ll need to open ES File Explorer, navigate to the folder where you copied the files and install the first app, the GoogleServicesFramework.apk.

b. Restart your Kindle Fire after the installation

c. Amazon’s default Launcher will not show the Android Marketplace even after you installed it, so you will need to install the GO Launcher EX as well. You can choose it by default or just choose which launcher should start every time you press Home.

d. Install Root Explorer if you haven’t already done it.

Step 3: Installation of the Android Market apk

a. Navigate to the place you copied the com.amarket.apk and install is as a regular app

b. Restart your Kindle Fire

c. Use Root Explorer, navigate to \system\app and mount it as R/W (top center, Mount R/W button)

c. Use Root Explorer and set the rights for the com.amarket.apk in the \system\app folder to be rw-r–r– (long press on the file and set the rights like in the picture).

d. Restart Kindle Fire again

e. Be sure to have GO launcher EX active, open the market and sign in with your Google account

Step 4: Enjoy and let others know about your experience

Note: I tested Netflix downloaded from the Android Market and it does have the latest tablet UI on Kindle Fire!!! Looks and feels very responsive.

 

 

  • http://www.jasongriffey.net griffey

    This may sounds stupid, but…how do you install Root Explorer without the Market already installed?

  • http://www.reviewhorizon.com/ soricon

    Once you paid for it, you should be able to find the APK file online and side load it.

  • http://www.jasongriffey.net griffey

    yeah, it was the finding that took some time. Done, and done…thanks for the guide.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rodneylphillips75211 Rodney Phillips

    ummmmm How do I do all this if I dont own a Android device???

    When I try and buy the Root Explorer it says I dont have a Phone?????

  • http://www.reviewhorizon.com/ soricon

    Do a Google search for root explorer apk, download it and side-load it on your Kindle Fire. Please, after you install the market buy it. It is a really useful tool and the developers deserve the money for their work.

  • http://www.facebook.com/rodneylphillips75211 Rodney Phillips

    Will do… I think I see now… I cant buy until I get all this installed,,,

    Thanks!

  • Anonymous

    I’m having an issue when it comes to changing the permissions. More specifically, the com.amarket.apk file does not appear in the /system/app folder. Any idea what is wrong? I have redone the whole process several times, to no avail. I have even started the market, signed in and when it attempts to load content I get the error message “The application Market (process com.android.vending) has stopped unexpectedly. Please try again”.

    Any help would be appreciated.

  • http://www.reviewhorizon.com/ soricon

    Can you try to copy it in there manually?

  • Jim Blanton

    I’m having the same trouble as fireuser. Tried to copy and paste in ES File Explorer, but pasting fails.

  • Anonymous

    I finally figured this out. I used root explorer for all of the following and it worked just fine.

    1) Once installing the GoogleServiceFramework.apk is completed, long-press on the com.amarket.apk until a small popup window appears, then choose “Move”.

    2) Navigate to /System/App “RO” will be selected here; change this option to “RW” and Paste the com.amarket.apk in this folder. (You must change to “RW” before pasting!)

    3) Long-press on the com.amarket.apk until a small popup window appears, then choose Permissions Modify the permissions so they are identical to the other apps in the same folder (RW-R-R)

    Reboot

    Thanks for the help.

  • Anonymous

    Hi Jim,

    Not sure how this whole comment thing works and wanted to be sure you saw my reply below. Hope this helps.

  • Minh Huynh

    I installed GO LAUNCHER EX, and restarted the Kindle Fire. Then, I pressed the GO LAUNCHER EX choose, the Fire froze. I tried the power off button. Even that screen froze as well. Any idea, is very helpful here. I am new to this. Thanks in advance.

  • Minh Huynh

    I installed GO LAUNCHER EX, and restarted the Kindle Fire. Then, I pressed the GO LAUNCHER EX choose, the Fire froze. I tried the power off button. Even that screen froze as well. Any idea, is very helpful here. I am new to this. Thanks in advance.

  • Lucas Moore

    I’m getting a parse error when trying to install googleservicesframework.apk. Any thoughts?

  • http://www.facebook.com/karstenblok Karsten Bering Blok

    I rooted and installed GO Launcher + Android Market… But when downloading, it just sits there in “Starting download” status… Thoughts?

  • Anonymous

    I got it! Thanks everyone for your posts. I can add that I had trouble finding com.amarket.apk with RootExplorer. When you copy it from your downloaded location to the Fire using your pc/usb connection, it goes somewhere on the SD card. You can’t see the root folder which RootExplorer displays when it opens from the pc. To find it, and ‘long-press on the com.amarket.apk until a small popup window appears (to move and change permissions)’, as fireuser posted, you have to open the ‘sdcard’ folder first, then navigate to whichever folder you placed it when copying from your pc.

  • Anonymous

    Got the Marketplace installed!!

    When I search for apps that I use on my phone that I want to use on my Kindle, they’re not found in the Market search.?.?.?

    Search for DroidPSK and my phone finds it, but the Kindle does not find it.

  • Anthony Gartner

    I am also stuck at Step #7 it is taking a very long time to work though.. i am running Win 7 32 bit… the other issue is for the love of god.. stop hiding the superdoubleclick behind stupid file server services that are malware waiting to happen…